Netsuke, carved ivory in the form of a tiger, signed Okatori, Japan, 1775-1825
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1775-1825
The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sash by a silk cord. The great popularity of the tiger as a netsuke subject is also connected to its being one of the 12 animals of the East Asian zodiac, which derives from Chinese cosmology. In a recurring 12-year cycle, each animal is assigned to a year in a specific order.
A netsuke portraying any of these animals was particularly associated with the New Year festivities of the appropriate year, but could also be used at any time during that particular year, and again 12 years later in accordance with the cycle.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Dimensions
- Height 3 cm
- Materials and techniques
- Carved ivory
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Japan
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O228712
- Museum object number
- 430-1904
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.